


I'll Stand Behind You

by whoopsydaisie



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Brain Damage, Car Accidents, Gen, Hurt Enjolras, Hurt/Comfort, I just wanted to be safe, I wrote this because I like pain, the violence isnt rly graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 20:30:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11721981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoopsydaisie/pseuds/whoopsydaisie
Summary: Grantaire remembers glass and Enjolras' head hitting the dashboard.





	I'll Stand Behind You

**Author's Note:**

> Should I turn this into a real story? Who knows?   
> Anyway, you can tell I love Enjolras because I'm beatiNG UP ON THE POOR GUY.

"What t-time is Joly coming o-over?"

"I already told you, he'll be here in an hour."

"Oh."

Grantaire shut his eyes and sighed.  It had been five months since the accident.  The accident that had taken everything that Enjolras was and smashed it to bits.  

 _It's not fair_. 

That was the thought that rolled through Grantaire's head as he followed the stretcher into the ambulance even as his lungs were screaming at him to slow down and the medics tried to hold him back.  The thought that haunted him as he looked through the glass at his best friend, lying there, paler than Grantaire had ever wanted to see him. The thought that followed him even now. 

Grantaire didn't even see it coming.  One minute he was rolling his eyes at yet another one of Enjolras' terrible attempts at a joke and the next there was glass flying towards him as he reflexively reached for Enjolras.  He remembers the air bags failing to activate and while the steering wheel caught him, Enjolras was not so lucky.  He remembers seeing Enjolras' head slam against the dashboard out of the corner of his eye before he blacked out.  Grantaire woke up a few minutes later to red.  Enjolras' beautiful blond curls were covered in red and he wasn't moving.  Grantaire struggled to reach his phone and to this day he wondered if maybe if he hadn't taken so long to get to it, if he hadn't taken to long to call an ambulance, maybe this wouldn't have happened.  Or maybe it would have worked out as this horrific scenario anyway.  It didn't matter now.  Grantaire walked away with bruised ribs; Enjolras didn't walk away at all.  

' _Still',_ Combferre had interjected,  _'it could be worse.  We might not have Enjolras at all.'_

Grantaire wasn't so optimistic.  Yes, it could be worse; they could have lost Enjolras that day.  However, that did not excuse the fact that now he couldn't eat properly.  It didn't excuse the fact that he limped.  It didn't excuse the fact that he sometimes had trouble talking.  It didn't excuse the fact that he forgot things right after someone told it to him.  It didn't excuse the fact that he didn't understand things that twenty-four year old men should be able to understand.  It  _certainly_ didn't excuse the fact that he had to relearn who all of his friends were.

There had been a lot of therapy and alcohol and tears and honestly, it was mostly a blur for Grantaire.  He was very grateful for Jehan during this time.  Jehan had made sure that everything was in order.  He helped Grantaire fight tooth and nail against the hospital that wanted to put Enjolras in an institution.  Jehan made sure Enjolras got to his appointments and he made sure all the proper paperwork was filed.  Grantaire seemed to be drowning on dry land through all of this, but Jehan helped him get air.

Grantaire pondered this as the nurses tried to help Enjolras into a wheelchair.  After what seemed like years but was in actuality months of waiting, Enjolras was finally able to go home with Grantaire.  Their friends had decided Grantaire's place would be best because his studio had been cleared out a few months prior and that gave lots of room for Enjolras' wheelchair.  So much had changed in Grantaire's little apartment and now Grantaire and Enjolras just had to wait for Joly to drive over and give them a ride there.  The nurses took them to the lobby where Enjolras seemed to be enthralled by the tank of fish and Grantaire signed a few papers that Jehan had warned him about.  Some release forms, some medications, lots of things Grantaire didn't understand.

"Grantaire, l-look!" Enjolras squealed excitedly while pointing to a blue tang.

"They're pretty, aren't they?" Grantaire asked.

Enjolras nodded and Grantaire felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth.  Enjolras was still adorable.  Not adorable in the way that he had previously been, but still adorable in his own new way.  Grantaire ruffled the short curls on top of Enjolras' head and knelt down next to his chair.

"Hey, I think Joly is gonna be here soon.  You want to go outside and wait?"

Enjolras looked hesitantly at the tank before brightening up and glancing to the door.  

"Y-yes, let's go out...there," he pointed a shaky finger to the window and Grantaire nodded.

"Well, my king, allow me to wheel your chariot to the sidewalk," Grantaire said in a deep voice.  He stood behind Enjolras, as he had always done, and wheeled him out the door.  Grantaire zigzagged on the sidewalk to make Enjolras laugh and then sat next to the wheelchair on a bench.  They were both quiet for a while.  Enjolras watched a birds nest in a tree next to him and Grantaire watched Enjolras.  He seemed content.  All things considered, Enjolras seemed fairly happy and blissfully oblivious of what had happened.  They had tried to explain the car crash to him several times, but that always ended in a confused expression and a tearful "what?", so after the first few times, they decided to stop trying.

"Hey, hey, it's the hospitals best patient!" Joly cried from the car as he pulled in.

"Joly, I'm n-not-" Enjolras laughed and started to argue.

"Hey, I was talking about R here.  Nah, you're a terror," Joly corrected with a straight face.  Enjolras blankly stared at him for a moment before a look of realization crossed his face and he smiled widely.  "So, R, what's the plan?  Hit a restaurant and then your place?  I'm starved."

"Actually, I was thinking we could just eat dinner at my place-"

"Yeah, okay, a dinner of what?  Vodka and crackers?  I'll pass."

"That's not true-" Grantaire started to protest.

"Mmhmm, sure," Joly interrupted.  He turned to Enjolras and smiled sweetly.  "Enjolras, would you rather have a good meal at a nice restaurant or a slightly sketchy meal that Grantaire supposedly has?"

Enjolras seemed to ponder this for a minute before he shrugged.  "I d-don't know."

Grantaire shut his eyes and breathed deeply.  Enjolras said this a lot lately.  Previously, Enjolras had been sure about everything.  Now, he could barely make a decision on his own.  It shook Grantaire and it bothered him more than it should have, but lately a lot of things were bothering him, so what was one more to add to the pile?  He shrugged and tried smiling amiably at Joly before reaching down to help Enjolras out of his seat.

"Okay, ready?" he asked as he took Enjolras' hand.  He waited for a short nod of confirmation before placing another hand under his elbow and helping him up.  Enjolras slid easily into the car and Grantaire released a breath he didn't know he was holding.  He started to shut the door but paused when Enjolras looked at him with a terrified expression.  This was new.  Enjolras had never looked very scared in the last months, sad, yes, but rarely, if ever, scared.

"Don't," Enjolras whispered.

"Don't what?  You don't want me to shut the door?"  Enjolras shook his head.  "Okay, well, we can't drive the car unless I shut the door."

"No, don't sit there," Enjolras bit down on a lip and pointed to the front passenger seat with a shaking finger.

"Enjolras, it's okay-"

"No!" he shouted.  Grantaire took a step back and Joly placed an a hand on his arm.

"Okay, okay, I won't sit there.  How about I sit in the back with you?  Is that alright?" Grantaire asked carefully.

Enjolras nodded and patted the seat next to him.  Grantaire sighed and smiled at him before shutting the door.  He could feel Enjolras' eyes following him the whole way around the car until he got to the other side.  

"It's okay," Grantaire reassured him and held his hand.  He waited until Enjolras looked calmer before nodding at Joly.  "We can go home now."


End file.
